Former Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile Speaks on New Senators in the Upper Chamber
JUAN PONCE ENRILE – The former Senate President expressed his hope that newbie senators will study to know their job.
The Senate recently earned different opinions amid the controversy over the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte. As an impeachment court, the Senate ruled to return Duterte’s impeachment to the House of Representatives which Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero said is not a dismissal of the case.
Eighteen senators approved the motion to remand the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte to the House. It is over the questions on the constitutionality of the impeachment as well as a request for reconfirmation from the 20th Congress.
Only five (5) senator judges voted against the motion to remand the Articles of Impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives. Here are the votes of the senator judges:
YES
- Alan Peter Cayetano
- Pia Cayetano
- Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
- JV Ejercito
- Chiz Escudero
- Jinggoy Estrada
- Bong Go
- Lito Lapid
- Loren Legarda
- Imee Marcos
- Robin Padilla
- Bong Revilla
- Francis Tolentino
- Raffy Tulfo
- Joel Villanueva
- Cynthia Villar
- Mark Villar
- Juan Miguel Zubiri
NO
- Koko Pimentel
- Risa Hontiveros
- Sherwin Gatchalian
- Grace Poe
- Nancy Binay
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said there is no concept of “return to sender” in the legal proceedings. Opposition Sen. Risa Hontiveros also claimed that the Constitution does not states remand. Former Senate Pres. Tito Sotto claimed that senator judges should not introduce motion as what he learned from the late former Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
Recently, another former Senate president reacted to the recent developments in the Senate. Based on a post on Inquirer, during an exclusive interview with the source, former Senate. Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile admitted his sadness over the recent happenings inside the upper chamber.
“Nalulungkot ako dahil karamihan nitong mga nasa Senado ngayon, marami sa kanila, mga kaibigan ko,” he said.
Former Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile was the 21st president of the Senate of the Philippines from 2008 to 2013. Based on the post, Enrile who is also popularly called as “Manong Johnny” expressed his hope that newbie senators in the upper chamber will study to know their job.
“Pero ‘yung mga bago na, dapat mag-aral naman sila sana at malaman nila kung ano talaga ang ibig sabihin nitong trabaho na [pinasok nila], na dapat nilang sundin,” he said.
On the issue regarding the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, former Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile believes that the House did its job and the Senate has to act on it with reasonable speed.